News and press releases

A series of three-day workshops organized by the OSCE Programme Office in Dushanbe on professional behaviour at border crossing points for a total of 48 officers from Tajikistan’s Border Troops, the Interior Ministry and Customs Service were held in Dushanbe (24-26 October 2017), Khujand (8-10 November 2017) and Kulyab (14-16 November 2017).

An OSCE-supported two-day roundtable discussion on the possible application of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) under the Espoo Convention Protocol in Kazakhstan concluded on 16 November 2017 in Astana.

MINSK, 15 November 2017 – The Special Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office in Ukraine and in the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG), Martin Sajdik, delivered the following statement to the press after the meeting of the TCG and its Working Groups in Minsk on 15 November 2017:

The SMM recorded more ceasefire violations in Donetsk region and fewer in Luhansk region compared with the previous reporting period. The Mission continued monitoring the disengagement areas; it recorded ceasefire violations inside the Stanytsia Luhanska and Petrivske disengagement areas. Its access remained restricted in the disengagement areas and elsewhere.* The SMM observed weapons in violations of the withdrawal lines near Berestove and Orlivka. It facilitated and monitored repairs and maintenance of essential infrastructure in Shchastia and Artema, and near Zalizne, Stanytsia Luhanska and Vesela Hora. It visited two border areas not under government control...

SKOPJE, 15 November 2017- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir, during his visit to Skopje today, commended several positive media reforms while underlining the need to improve the general media situation in the county.

The civic and political participation of migrants was the focus of an expert roundtable meeting held by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) for 40 participants from 14 OSCE participating States in Brussels on 14 and 15 November 2017.

TIRANA, 15 November 2017- Representing the 2017 OSCE Chairmanship, Austrian Deputy Foreign Minister Michael Linhart visited Tirana today, highlighting the pivotal role the OSCE Presence in Albania plays in supporting the country’s reform process...